One Last Job
by Evany
Summary: Six months after "The Long Goodbye Job" things get complicated between Eliot and Parker. There's something wrong with the Hitter. And the Thief needs to fix it.
1. Chapter 1

This is my first fanfic ever, so I'm a little nervous about posting it. And to turn this worse English is not my mother tong, but I had the precious help of silverbutterfly13 who did an amazing job as a beta.

This is a standalone…for now. I have some ideas that could turn this in a multichapter story, but I'm still not sure about it yet. Please let me know what you think, any constructive criticism is highly appreciated.

**Disclaimer: **The characters belong to Leverage, I own nothing. If I did, the show wasn't canceled and Parker and Eliot would be together.

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It was like any other day in the past six months for the Leverage Consulting & Associates. Parker had just finished a final meeting with their latest client, an elementary school principal. She had given him a check with way too many digits and the paperwork to sue the contractor who had built the gym out of cheap materials and was responsible for the deaths of 5 children who had been killed when the gym roof collapsed.

This part of the job always brought a huge smile to her face. It was good to still be able to use her talents, but this way to help people and bring some justice in a world of corruption. This was a feeling she would never get tired of. Of course, now she had other responsibilities. Since Nate and Sophie's departure from the team, she was the mastermind, the one to elaborate a careful plan and occasionally do the grifting part of it along with Eliot. Hardison was the best hacker and probably one of the most intelligent people she had ever met, but grifting was not one of his best skills. The rest of the team respected that, giving him only the stereotyped characters he felt comfortable playing.

Hardison… Parker suppressed another grin thinking about her team-mate and friend. Their relationship had ended a couple of months after they had started the new agency. There wasn't even a real reason for the break up, other than that they figuring out that nothing had changed between them during those months together. Their relationship was too brother and sisterly to be called romantic, so they went back to being best friends. Parker would always be like a sister to him and they were both comfortable about their decision.

When the team parted ways, she, Eliot, and Hardison found an isolated house in the outskirts of town where they mostly lived together - even though they all kept their own homes – and used it as the operation base. Now she was coming home with a sense of accomplishment and a job well-done. The first thing she heard when she entered the house was the sound of celebratory roars from the screen speakers and Eliot's "NOO!" that made her laugh. She stepped into the huge screening room, ready to start teasing him about his hockey team's defeat. The only thing that stopped her was Eliot's murderous glare at the screen and the force that he brought the now empty glass on the table with. It was enough to teeter the whiskey bottle next to it.

Without sparing Parker a single glance, he got up, turned the tv off and threw the remote on the seat he had just vacated. She could swear he had mumbled something about "more disappointments" and "need a shower" before disappearing up the stairs leaving a stunned thief behind.

Parker gave a sigh and turned to the kitchen to fetch herself a bowl of cereal. There was something wrong with Eliot. Lately he'd barely talk to them about anything other than the job. His bad attitude was worse than normal too. At first she had written it off on the changes: missing Nate and Sophie and the added work in the team. But as more time passed, she started suspecting there was something more causing his odd behavior. He had never been the most talkative or sharing member of their little group, but lately he had completely shut down, bordering on plain rudeness. If the socially inept Parker could noticed this, then something was very, very wrong with their hitter.

_And now I need to fix him!_ she thought, a plan already forming in her mind.

She knew that her chances to get him to sit and talk were next to zero, so she would do the only thing she could do to make sure he wouldn't bolt and run. She would have to trap him. And he was already closed in the small space of the bathroom; it was the perfect opportunity.

Parker ran silently up the stairs into Eliot's bathroom. After all, she was the only one who could sneak up on him. As soon as she entered the bathroom, she saw his form through the opaque shower glass go rigid. He knew he was not alone anymore and his body had quickly assumed a fighting stance. As he whirled around to face his opponent, only his hard training prevented him to fall on his face.

"PARKER!" he shouted, incredulity noticeable in his voice, "What the hell are you doing here? I'm showering!" he blinked a few times, waiting for her answer, but none came. She just turned, closed the door and locked it, clutching the key in her fist.

Eliot couldn't believe what was happening. He turned the shower off, grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist. It wasn't that he minded a gorgeous woman trapping herself in the shower with him, but said woman was Parker! This was not suppose to happen with Parker!

"Okay, darlin," he started, trying to keep his voice calm, "what the hell do you want that couldn't wait until I was out of the shower?" his hard stare focused on her.

She stared at him for a few seconds before answering in a whisper, "There's something wrong with you".

Of course, the irony of those words wasn't lost on him. How many times had he thrown the same word at her? Entirely meaning them in the beginning, then as a friendly teasing in the last few years. But never like this, not the way she said them now, meaning every syllable of them, deep worry stark in her eyes. Obviously, he knew why she was saying it. His attitude lately was bothering her, more than he first thought it would. But… it was the only way.

"Parker, I'm not doing this. We're not having this conversation," he took two steps towards her, but didn't make any attempt to obtain the key yet. "Open the door. I need to get on some clothes."

"No," was her only response as she kept staring at him, her face a perfect picture of determination.

"Parker, open the door now!" he growled, the threat ringing clearly in his voice.

Without any warning, she brought the key to her mouth... and swallowed it with a gulp.

Eliot's face would have been funny if it weren't for the present situation. A mix of shock, disbelief, and she could swear there was a glimpse of fear in his eyes.

"Now you're not going anywhere before we talk," a self-satisfied grin played across her lips.

That smile did it. How dared she trap him like this? Fuming, he grabbed her torso and threw her against the door, his gaze lethal, "Tell me you didn't swallow that key, darlin," the endearment menacing.

In response she opened her mouth wide for him to inspect. A careful look told him that the crazy thief had indeed swallowed the only way out without destroying Hardison's property.

"Great!" his fist hit the door behind her head with such force that the hinges creaked. To her credit, the blond didn't even flinched. "Now **you** explain to Hardison why I had to break his door."

Suddenly her demeanor changed, her body recoiled and her eyes glistened with tears. She opened her mouth a couple of times but nothing came out. This made Eliot step back a few inches and soften his expression. He could fight anything, battle against whatever was thrown in his way, but a crying woman had always been his soft spot. A crying Parker, no less, was the worst that could happen to him, even if had been ready to kill her a few seconds ago.

"Darling, I'm so…", he started to apologize, not sure what else to do and willing to do anything to stop her from crying, but her next words stopped him dead.

"Is my presence so unbearable that you'd rather break the door than talk to me?" her voice was no more than a whisper and the tears were now running freely down her face. "It's been weeks since you talked to me more than two sentences. Months perhaps!"

In that moment, Eliot was capable of ripping himself to shreds for making her feel that way. He had avoided her, yes. But not because he couldn't bear her presence. Quite the opposite. What kind of friend, of brother would he be to Hardison if he suddenly declared that he had feelings for the last few years for the girl his colleague had dated for so long? He couldn't do that!

But Parker had him trapped in the damn bathroom, with nothing but a towel around his waist, demanding an explanation. Those big eyes piercing, so beautiful even with the redness of tears.

He took a breath and gently reached out to touch her face in a small caress, bringing his lips to her ear. "Sweetheart... I love you," his voice barely audible.

For a few seconds she was silent, and it drove him crazy. He pulled back to look at her, and he could hear his own heart beating too loudly in his chest. She blinked at him a couple of times and frowned.

"I love you too," she said matter-of-factually, "but that doesn't explain why you're ignoring me," her frown deepened and she eyed him like she was studying a new species. "That's exactly why you shouldn't be ignoring me. That's not what friends do. And you are one of my best friends."

_Of course I am_, he thought. Now he understood why she was so calm about what he'd just confessed. She thought he loved her as a friend, specifically as a sister.

"No, Parker", he said, shaking his head, "I don't think you know," he clarified, before sending his reluctance to hell. Acting on instinct, he gently grabbed her face and crushed his lips to hers.

For a second he thought she'd push him away or stab him in the chest, but the next thing he knew, her fingers were running up his neck and twining themselves into his hair. Her tongue begged for entrance, and there was nothing he could do to deny her. He found hers with his own and battled until her hands started to descend down his bare torso to the towel around his hips. A mere flip of her wrists and the fabric fell on the floor. Nothing between her roaming hands and his naked body now.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author Notes: **Ok, here is the second chapter. It took me a while to update because my grandmother had a stroke and I've been taking care of her until we get a nurse and that has been quite demanding. Besides, I had the chapter already written but I wasn't satisfied with it, so of course I went and rewrote almost everything. Please, let me know what you think.  
And I need to thank all the amazing reviews and followers of this story. Last but not least, I need to thank silverbutterfly13, my beta, for the support and all the help with my english.

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Eliot inhaled sharply when he felt Parker's hands on the bare skin of his butt, grabbing and pulling him closer to her. He lifted her body and wrapped her legs around his waist before breaking the kiss, only to trail his tongue down her neck, to her collarbone. His hands snaking now beneath her shirt, caressing up her stomach and gently cupping her breasts. He chuckled a little about finding her again without a bra, but when his fingers brushed her nipples, her moan made him lose all pretense of control and he ripped the offending shirt off of her. His mouth immediately sought one of her nipples while his fingers continued caressing the other.

"Eliot… please!" her moaned plea brought him crashing back to reality. No, he couldn't do this. Not this way, in a haze against the locked door. He tried and focused his attention on Parker's face but as soon as his eyes fell on her face he realized that was a mistake. His resolve almost flew out the proverbial window: her hair a beautiful mess, her lips parted and red, her cheeks flushed as she tried to catch her breath, and her eyes… those amazing eyes were dark and glassy, driven by passion. So many years after they first met and she had never looked more beautiful to him than in this particular moment.

The hitter used all his self-control to try to even his own breath before slowly disentangle her legs from his waist and let her down.

"Hmm… what… what's wrong?" she asked, also struggling between deep breaths.

"Darlin, we can't do this." Eliot started to tell her when her eyes flashed with confusion and hurt. He rushed to elaborate, "At least not here. Not this way. I… I want to too much, but I also want to do this properly." he offered a smile as his hand once again caressed her face and she consented with a nod.

He reached for the doorknob and gave a forceful tug, hoping the handle would give in with the small effort. No such luck. They were still locked in. He shook his head and suppressed a grin as he mock glared at Parker. How could the crazy thief have swallowed the key?

"Come on, Parker, step aside and let me get us out of here," he said as he took two steps back, about to crush the door. Hardison was going to kill him, and he would never hear the end of it.

"Wait!" she bit her lip and averting her eyes from his. Her hand reached behind her to her back pocket and she produced the key. Her cheeks flushed red again, but this time for an entirely different reason than a few moments before.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have lied to you." her voice low and embarrassed, like a small child caught doing something wrong. "But I had to keep you here, somehow."

Eliot knew he should be mad at her, furious. But this was what made his little thief so unique. His thief... How could Parker ever be his? She was too independent, valued too much her freedom to ever be someone's property. But he respected that. It was part of her just like her hair or her generosity, so he loved her exactly as she was and that, in a way, made her his, just like he was hers. And the thought brought a smile to his face. For the very first time since Aimee's fiasco he wasn't scared he wouldn't be enough, because he knew this was just as difficult to Parker. None of them knew how to be in a serious relationship, so they would both make mistakes. But they would also learn from each other and, maybe, they would stand a chance.

He accepted the key, collected their discarded clothes from the floor and unlocked the door, letting her out of the bathroom and into his bedroom.

Parker glanced to the bedroom's door she had closed behind her before interrupting his shower and for a moment she looked lost, uncertain of what to do. Was she supposed to leave the room and let him get dressed or stay and make sure he would keep naked for a few more hours?

Eliot noticed her hesitation but chose not to comment on it. Instead, he headed for his dresser and pulled out a pair of boxers and two shirts, tossing her one. He dressed himself and sat on the edge of the bed.

"This means we're not finishing," she stated as she motioned to the bathroom door with her head. Her question was not seductive, and not angry, only curious.

"Not until we talk," Eliot answered and almost laughed at the irony of it. For months he was the one who ran, who kept her at bay and refused to talk, and now he wanted to sit and clear everything out before doing anything else.

"Okay," she nodded.

"You know, I meant every word I said in there."

"You mean… about l.. lo…" her voice trailed off. She still had some trouble to grasp the concept of such words.

"About loving you" he concluded, his voice soft "I do. I love you, Parker. Not as a friend, not as a sister" his eyes now piercing on hers like diamonds trying to cut into her brain "As a woman, as an amazing, beautiful, independent, selfless woman. Because that's who you are."

"But… but you think I'm crazy," she said, her voice just above a whisper.

Of all the reactions she could have expected, Eliot bursting into laughter was definitely not one of them. For a few minutes he just laughed at her words, his entire body relaxed as he succumbed to the chuckles until his eyes watered with tears and breathing became a problem. All this while she eyed him as if he was the crazy one.

As the laughter subsided and he swiped the tears out of his eyes, he finally answered, "I do. But that's just another thing I love about you," he took her hand and gently kissed her knuckles "I love all of you. Your entire twenty pounds of craziness."

Any other woman would probably take these words differently. It was a love declaration after all, so they would probably squeal, cry, kiss the man in question or even get offended of being called crazy. But not Parker, she was a unique type of person. She just smiled as if she owned the world and nodded before entangling their fingers and squeezing lightly.

"Eliot, I want to say it back to you, I do! But… do I even know how to love?" she replied.

He could see her struggle to find the right words and opened his mouth to reassure her, but her next move stopped him in his tracks. She embraced him. Wrapped her arms around his waist and trailed shy, innocent kisses up his neck to his ear, and buried her face in his neck.

"Is this love?" she asked, barely audible.

He returned the embrace and mimicked her action, burrowing his nose in her hair and inhaling her scent. Yes, this was his thief. So crazy and fierce to jump off buildings and throw herself into elevator shafts for fun, only to be reduced to this fragile, innocent woman every time her feelings got involved. And he loved it all.

"I can't tell you that. But you have time to find out. I'm not going anywhere, sweetheart." his hands caressed her neck, "I will always be here for you. Always."

Suddenly, his cell phone rang, shattering the moment. Eliot's first thought was to let it go to voicemail, but it was too late, Parker had already jumped off his lap and started walking towards his dresser.

He snatched the device off his bedside table and frowned at the display, which showed Nate's number. He eyed Parker, who was sitting on his dresser, and picked up.

"Nate. Long time no call," he tried to keep his tone even, but this phone call worried him. Why was the ex-mastermind calling after months of silence? Something was telling him nothing good would come out of this.

Hearing Nate's name, Parker sat straighter and used all of her willpower not to jump in bed again and attach her ear to the cellphone. But she was sure Eliot would tell her everything in due time. For now, his face was serious. Too serious for her taste. She frowned when his body went rigid and his voice assumed a lower, deadly ring.

"Okay, I'll let them know. I'll call you back as soon as we decide what to do," he paused, about to say something, but ended up shaking his head a little before adding, "Nate. Be careful," as soon as the words were out he ended the call and tossed the device to the other side of the bed, as if putting distance between he and it would erase the entire conversation he had just had.

Parker waited for a few moments. Whatever Nate told him was serious, the bad kind of serious, because his body was starting to shake as he usually did when he had too much pent-up anger.

"Eliot?" she asked softly.

The hitter took several minutes to answer, but when he did his eyes were a mist of anger, rage, and something very close to fear.

"Damien Moreau escaped," he paused and took a deep breath, "He tried to kill Sophie."


End file.
